You are doing a lot. Thanks

I would like to see a lefty lobby group to get in the faces of congress critters.

Good morning, Christy. I’m on my second cup of tea this morning, and thank you for telling us about “Three Cups of Tea.” It’s on my wish list. Now back to work so I can get the bird seed for the flocks of red-wing blackbirds who have been here since middle January.

I mean from the bloggers. Instead of writing on the net and hoping someone will read what is said. Actually getting some of the smart people over to DC and do some face time with critters. Glenn, Jane, Christy .. ya k now the smart ones.

Good morning Christy.

My greatest joy comes when I volunteer at the local DV shelter. My greatest sadness is there too. The women that finally can free themselves and their children from horrifying circumstances are an inspiration. The children don’t really know what is going on but at times when they see me, a male, the fear in their eyes is beyond belief. It is so fuc**ng sad.

Perris has already inspired me this morning with this:

“IF there have been crimes committed against our country, her constitution and the people of this nation by anyone in the adminsitration, will you bring them to the bar of justice or will they get away with their crime?”

If a LOT of people call the station holding the next debate, and demand that Sens Clinton and Obama be asked this question….

Good morning. I haven’t commented in ages (a prolonged case of life) But I had to mention that “Mrs Rumphius” is one of my all time favorite books. I take that as my goal in life as well, to leave the world a little more beautiful.

At my old place, I’d replaced most of the lawn with native wildflowers (also eco-friendly since they take less water than lawns and didn’t require mowing) At the new place, since there’s no lawn, I put out pots of flowers and herbs.

Nationally, I vote Democratic, they’re much more attractive then the sour-faced Repubs.

If a LOT of people call the station holding the next debate, and demand that Sens Clinton and Obama be asked this question….

And let us not forget “Are you going to repudiate the idea of the unitary executive”

Lichtblau on NYT up on FISA on CSPAN.

So today, I thought we could talk about our own small steps, and where they’ve been leading us, to make the world around us a better place. Egregious has done it with her charity work in Russia.

Speaking of which: egregious and I had an exchange last thread about stressors, about how she’s going through two of these right now: divorce, moving. As someone who went through my own divorce and moving to another location eons ago (1994), I have a pretty good idea what she’s experiencing eight now. Right now needs to be with friends and relatives, with people who know and love her.

So I say this to Bay Area FDLers: Try to spend some time with her if you can. I know mon copain punaise has and will. Maybe she wants to be alone. But I think she knows that’s not gowto engage her condition. It’s probanbly best not to retreat into oneself at a time like this…

If I’ve learned nothing else from having spent 17 years in ministry is that I will never know what I may have done or said to help someone along the way. It is stunning when on occasion I get a card from someone from years back thanking me for something that didn’t even register on my meter.

The most can do now is to get others motivated to take part in the process and not just sit on the sidelines. Along with just doing my work and sending the faxes, e-mails and making the calls.

It is this site and Jane and Christy and Pach et al who got me to do more than bitch and moan. For that I am grateful!

Bitching and moan comes first and then action comes after. It’s a progression. Doncha think?

Good Morning Christy, tea for three sounds like a real inspiration, as are you -always.

If I’ve done anything to make the world better it has sprung from my love for children. My youngest son’s best friend was the son of a college professor and a nurse who were divorced. The father was an alcoholic. The mother, a brilliant woman, never quite ‘got’ what motherhood was all about. The child ate most meals at my house. That was a given. But after the divorce, he moved with his mom to Colorado. After awhile, and after he fainted in school, he ended up in the hospital with malnutrition.
He then told his mother that he wanted to move back to NY with his dad. But, I think what he really wanted was access to my well-stocked kitchen. His father went to NYC every weekend, so then he started sleeping at my house on weekends. I never met the father, I never asked any questions. I know there was little food there from my son but I never delved deeper. I was just a port in the storm. I never reported it to anyone either for fear that he would be banned from my home and I would just be making things worse for him. I felt that we had worked out a system that gave him a sense of security and he was doing fine. He graduated last year from the University of Colorado.
p.s. In his High School Yearbook, he thanked his parents “The Greatest Parents in the World’. Go figure. *g*

My grandmother always instilled in us kids to greet everyone in our lives with a smile like you’re happy to see them…even the strangers. A smile can be very powerful for sure. ;-)

can’t think of a better start :)

Some of that old time fire-in-the-belly, Rule of Law, pink feather boa extreme blogging make the world a better place, IMHO.

It works too. Ever catch someone off guard with a smile? LOL It truly breaks down the walls between humans. People are more open to you if you just smile…even through the tough times in your life. Hell, the act of smiling makes a person happier inside also which will radiate. :-)

I love Princess Diana’s quote too: “No one ever died from a hug”. Another great concept.

Hi, everyone! I’ve dragged myself out of bed this morning (I know 8am on a Saturday isn’t “dragged out of bed” for a lot of people, but it is for me! *g*) to go to a meeting of the citizen commission I serve on that allocates federal and county grants for programs for low-income people. The meeting was supposed to be on Primary Night (Tuesday) but was rescheduled because of the ice storm. Now I find that by magic, I’m on topic!

We’re working on language to recommend that the County Board mandate better coordination between the Housing Department and the local nonprofits to match up people with a family member with disabilities and appropriate housing, because apparently they’ve done a poor job of it for years. (Not through ill intent; we hope the problem is that the county hasn’t told their people it’s okay to involve the nonprofits in the process.)

Anyway, the interesting thing is that I only ended up doing this because of politics. Because I got involved in the local Democratic Party in 2004, I got to know my County Board member, which led to my being appointed to this board. So in addition to improving our government and meeting all of you, many other good things can come of caring about politics!

Why limit it to Clinton and Obama? Why not ask every single candidate?

And why not ask the talking heads? What are the media investigative units doing? Besides telling us about Pets for Rent?

…

Thanks for the book tip, Christy! Whenever I learn of an interesting book, I add it to my to-be-read list…and I recommend it to our local library for their to-be-purchased list.

*thumbs up* to Redshift!

(((Egregious)))

You are the one who welcomed me to this community with your ready greeting and encouragement. Thanks JLC

:)

FDL is such an inspiration. There are so many levels here to draw passion to fight the good fight, and lessons on how to do it. I’ve made some amazing connections with folks in this community that inspire me to lend a hand, and to look for opportunities in the arena of my life to make a difference.

If pieces fall into place with my present plan, I will have transformed my creative energy into a tangible process which will benefit children. A lot of that is due to being a part of this community.

I confess to having a bias here. Want to do something for someone else for little or no pay? Become a teacher or volunteer in one of your local public schools. Especially perhaps, focus on volunteer work at the elementary level. ‘Cause that’s where it all begins. Try it. You just might find you enjoy it. Education is the key to success. Thankyou

Good morning all, thanks for the book recommendation Christy.

Good Morning, Firepups!

It’s sunny and warming up here in central Jersey. Thanks, Christy, for another inspirational thread. Mr. NJP and I are recovering from a sinus infection and the flu, respectively, and have been much preoccupied by caring for his aging parents (his mom is now in a nursing home, and his dad will be going into assisted living by the end of next week). Our activism is taking a back seat to caring for family, at least until things settle down with his parents. I managed to make a couple of phone calls during the FISA fights, and sign a couple of on-line petitions, but we haven’t attended a peace group meeting in several months.

I continue to be grateful to all of you for sharing the stories you have of trying to make the world a better place. Deeds small and large are a wonderful source of hope in a crazy world. Thank you all for setting a good example, and for cheering one another on, to do more.

Work for peace, every day.

“Are you going to repudiate the idea of the unitary executive”

I would be surprised if either Clinton or Obama is willing to go that far.

And that is kinda depressing – maybe I don’t give them enough credit.

As for me, besides writing and editing, I volunteer for two-three hours every weekday at Minneapolis Public Housing, helping poor people find subsidized (read: low-income) housing; as well as volunteer once a week at a homeless shelter…

To go “on topic” for a change,

I became a nurse, partly as a way to “justify my existence”. I don’t necessarily leave the world a more beautiful place, but I do feel like I can leave my mark in some tangible, if small way. It helps to know that I have helped someone get through something bad…

…at least it will hold me over until I am able to change the world!

Civic particpation is something not enough people do. Volunteering especially for children can go a long ways. Many times adults have no problem doing things they like but can´t be bothered with doing things for kids.

“It helps to know that I have helped someone get through something bad…”

There’s your beauty right there!

The Missions Team I’m on a church helps people by doing little acts of kindness.
This weekend we are making sack lunches for the homeless. Members of the congregation will bring items such as string cheese, fruit cups, granola bars and like that. We’ll assemble them and take most of them to a Food Shelter for distribution. We’ll keep some in the office, because people who are really down on their luck come by for help.

Good morning. I guess Bono clip explains what it means to “carry a tune.” I have trouble with My Darlin’ Clementine.

My experience has been that the best way to maintain your own perspective, and clarity of thought, is to think of others more than yourself.

some of my best friends are nurses!
And no one does more for the patient in care than the nurses do. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

A lot of us are sandwich fillers–the responsibilities of caregiving for younger ones and/or older family equally likely. Or soulmates or siblings or families we take into our hearts.

Some days I feel more like mooshy chicken salad than crisp’n’colorful sliced veggies. Either way, coming to FDL is both sanctuary and salon and a beautiful place to be.

Sending everybody virtual seeds from the packets of candy-striped zinnias I picked up at the local Ace Hardware when I was supposed to be shopping for snowblower oil. The beauty of little moments. I visualize my white house sparkling for the neighborhood this summer.

Would it ruin this warm, fuzzy moment if I added that almost all my co-workers are chicks?!?

Looking at my brown garden and planning this years craft shows, I wonder what I can do for others.
I have volunteered most of my life. When I didnt work all the time I felt I was blessed and needed to give back.
I worked for Planned Parenthood and was a battered woman’s counselor but now I’ll just have time to grow more veggies for the soup kitchen.

lol!

check your FB inbox…

My rural library district is starting its first “One Book” program and Three Cups of Tea is the book. All that have read it, say it is a great book. My AAUW branch will give it to local girls for excellence in math, science, and technology next month. Three Cups of Tea just has so many point of departure for discussions that any of them could provoke a thoughtful exchange.

For me, one portion that really stands out is the boy sent down the river to go to a school and how everyone along the way helps him and gives him money to proceed. I can imagine the boy’s fear of the unknown, but also the lesson in how a community supports education.

If you want to make the world a more beautiful place, see it as beautiful to begin with.

Have you ever noticed, when looking at retrospective exhibits of an artist’s work, or reading literature, or listening to music of accomplished artists that the beauty coalesces and you wonder: “How did that happen?” Well, I believe it is the result of seeing the world as beautiful to begin with, and honing one’s skills so that beauty cannot be missed. It is so easy to leave the house, see the bad traffic, fight with the process…and miss the sunrise.

I have a (guy) friend who works in a hospital. He was offered a better job elsewhere. He didn’t take it. Couldn’t bring himself to leave the nurses.

Morning Christy, Biodun, everyone. I push constantly for difficult issues of local interest and political consequence in my neighborhood and at work. In the latter I have put up the heat in terms of encouraging student activism -my day job often extending to the late night hours and week-ends. For the first time in my career I am seeing a sizable change in student activism which will imprint the nation more generally. I also do quite a bit in Africa. I wish I could do more.

That does it. I’m going to get two copies and donate one to the library.

Just watching Animal Planet with morning coffee, a program about therapy dogs. The woman launched a therapy dog program for acute care patients. She started because before her best friend succumbed to cancer she brought the woman’s rottweiler to visit her, and the benefit of each visit lasted days.

I’ll never think of rotties in the same way again.

Thank you.

Good morning from L.A. Great Sat. morning post, Christy.

I talked enough about myself around here last week to last for quite a while, so I’d just like to strongly reiterate what kiddo suggested @ 25. Any school (or anywhere else, really) you offer your services as a volunteer will rarely turn you down. It’s hands & hearts work on a local level & very rewarding. Here’s a general link for one of those places that does excellent work in L.A. w/teens & young adults in need. Totally non-judgemental & non-religion pushing in my experience, just the help they need to get off the streets. Covenant House has 21 facilities in cities throughout the United States, Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua.

Covenant House

*Don’t want to clutter the current thread w/that gumbo recipe I promised Marion in Savannah the other evening- Marion, I’m going to post it in EPUville on the previous thread…

my golden was soo popular, one woman who never looked at anyone ever would always smile and reach out to pet the dog. Talk about spreading sunshine!

Good morning, Firepups. Protein drink followed by a strong cup of organic French Roast with organic cream. Take all that non-fat crap and put it where the sun don’t shine.

My book recommendation is “Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha)” by M K Gandhi. The Mahatma’s message is a collection of articles and essays he wrote on the subject. It’s not an idea, it’s a mindset, a way of life. His grandson Arun, who has managed to get himself in little hot water recently over a comment he made, spoke last year at the USF St Petersburg campus. He talked at length about his grandfather and the lessons he learned from him. The story of the thrown away pencil stub is priceless. I was bold enough to ask him to autograph my copy of “Satyagraha,” which he graciously did. Had a nice little chat at the same time. I don’t know if it was just me but there was an aura about the man. It’s not the easiest book to read but the message is powerful. From the Editor’s Note:

“Satyagraha, in the narrower sense, takes many forms. Primarily it is a case of appealing to the reason and conscience of the opponent by inviting suffering on oneself. The motive is to convert the opponent and make him one’s willing ally and friend. It is based on the idea that the moral appeal to the heart and conscience is, in the case of human beings, more effective than an appeal based on threat of bodily pain or violence. Indeed violence, according to Gandhiji, does not ever overcome evil; it suppresses it for the time being to rise later with redoubled vigour. Non-violence, on the other hand, puts an end to evil, for it converts the evil-doer.”

There are many things we can do to help make our world a better place. It’s a matter of finding what we’re comfortable with and going for it. Since I spent so much time working in mental health I’ve directed a lot of my efforts to working with the homeless and the mentally ill. Today, sadly, the two are closely related. There are many mentally ill among the homeless for a variety of reasons, the most visible being the lack of care for the mentally ill and the stigma which, in this, the 21st century, many attach to the family of a mentally ill person. It’s a sad commentary on our society when parents abandon their child or children because they cannot afford mental health care for them. I’ve seen it way too often for my liking. Universal, comprehensive single payer health care would go a long way to alleviate the problem.

The word “change” has already become the buzzword of the presidential campaign but there are innumerable people out there who have been working for change for decades. Forget the buzzword, get out there and do something. There are thousands of unsung heroes out there. Join them.

Peace Love Light

G’morning everyone.

Books. Anything to do with books. Read and inwardly digest. Donate. Give as gifts. I used to record books for Society for the Blind. Did some commentaries for MN Public Radio. Past tense. Hmmm. Need to revisit that, I guess.

The world around us. I’ve learned more from David in our years together than all the rest before that (and there were a bunch of ‘em!). Fixing things instead of jettisoning them. Recycling and composting. Planting trees, shrubs, gardens that are both beautiful and a haven for small critters. Feeding the amazing collection of birds that congregate here. Supporting candidates whose sense of urgency about the planet is huge.

Egregious? Once you catch up with this thread — there is abundant life after divorcing. I can’t imagine how different things might have been if I’d had access to FDL in those times. This is an amazing community. That’s not suckup talk. ‘Tis truth.

You are welcome.

BTW, I love your name! :-)

Hi all, happy Saturday :)
Sort of taking about books, http://www.exile.ru/index.php this is an awesome E news/mag. Somebody on another thread ( sorry, missed your/their name :( ), but Thank-you! :) linked to a story, great place, very informative, great snark! so that’s what I’m reading at the moment :)

Government money machinations are posted on http://www.economicindicators.gov

Better hurry though, the site goes black on March 1.

Morning, Richmond…How goes it in your neck of the woods? Have you seen another one of our mutual friends on campus? Besides the one you mentioned, who thought I was crazy in a good way…*g*

Good Morning everyone….. Fresh espresso ready ….

My Dad has been involved in his local Habitat for Humanity chapter for more than 10 years. In his mid 70’s he taught himself to type so that he could write up the zoning requests to the city. Now in his mid 80’s he bought himself a new pickup truck to haul all his tools and building supplies.

Our local 1480 KPHX Progressive Radio has an ongoing help for the homeless. They are having a blanket drive right now and in summer a drive for bottles of water. Along with this they also want the small hotel size personal care items.

It’s one of my favorite sites, especially War Nerd, the best military analyst I’ve read. You realize however that the server’s in Russia, so you are surely on all the govt’s watch lists if you go there. *g*

OKK,

This year marks 30 years as an educator. I never got rich but the greatest feeling is the simple Thank You and knowing I make a differnce.

good morning all

beautiful topic to start the day

Morning all — bless Mr. ReddHedd for taking the morning shift for me so I could sleep in a bit. Warm cuppa coffee and helping The Peanut with a lego house while I’m typing this morning.

It’s gorgeous here today. The birds are happy not to be fighting snow or sleet to get to the feeder this morning.

No. Mostly I am going to other kinds of meetings and burning the midnight oil at home editing (I am exhausted).

so now you can turn to all your peeps here! ;)

Morning Christy – sweet. It is hard to imagine those who bring up kids alone without spouse help/input. Also it is nice of the peanut to go along with your sleepin!

Someone yesterday asked for the YouTube link to Obama’s comments in Milwaukee. Here’s the video.

lovely…it’s supposed to be a balmy 31 F here in Minneapolis today…

My kids are long grown, but the word “lego” brings an intant pain to my instep from many nights of stepping on them in the dark.

I’m currently studying for my PhD with the goal of teaching at a university.

I live in a fairly large city and like many cities, we have a large population of homeless people. I always felt so bad when I would see them because I wanted to do something for them. A family friend was talking one evening about the same thing and told me what had been doing and I liked it so much that I copied his idea. I went to Costco and bought a case of ravioli (canned w/ pull tops), a package of napkins,and a box of plastic forks. I wrap the fork in the napkin and attach it with a rubberband to a can of ravioli and keep them in my car. When i see a homeless peerson, I give them the little meal pack. I know it isn’t the healthiest thing in the world and I’m looking for a healthier substitute but at least it is something to eat.

Good for you. What is your field?

Will be going later today to help with this event:

Friday – Sunday February 15, 16, 17
Arizona Standdown
39 East Jackson St
Help our homeless Vets in Arizona
USVets Phx – 602 305 8585
for Transportation help 602 277 5551 x7163

A wide range of services available includes VA BEnefits, Medical Services, Housing Assistance, Meals, Haircuts and showers, Mental Health Counselling, Legal Aid, Substance Abuse Counselling, Safe Sleeping areas

I help a little with a youth group. They started doing a few micro-loans (Kiva.org) and I kicked in a few more dollars.

You might try giving them cans of garbonzo or pinto beans or black-eyed peas…They’re cheap, usually under a dollar…

Some mornings she goes along with it…some not so much. This morning was an actual sleeping one instead of playing twenty questions with momma when she could sneak upstairs while daddy was busy making coffee. *g* After everything we went through to be able to have her, I (mostly) don’t mind missing the sleep.

Interdisciplinary actually :)

I won’t bore you with the details but I’m studying Travel Narratives around the time of encounter (old world/new world)

Good idea, hope that I can find those with pull tops.

The Obama video noted above doesn’t cover the portion that was so stirring. Note to self: review first, share later. (sigh)

Paul Rogat Loeb edited an excellent book titled something like ‘The Impossible Will Take a Little Longer.’ It’s a compendium of compelling essays by world-famous and not-so-famous writers (e.g., Desmond Tutu, Vaclav Havel, Nelson Mandela, Marion Wright Edelman, etc.) focused on the possibility of genuine hope in tough times. Good read.

When I lived in Philly during my grad school studies, I used to buy a bag of oranges and put a couple in my pockets to hand out to the homeless when I was headed to class. Malnourishment is always such a problem when you don’t know where your next meal may come from, and things like scurvy are not uncommon. I didn’t have much money in grad school — next to none a lot of months — but I could afford to hand out an orange here and there, and I figured if it helped someone avoid scurvy, it was worthwhile.

It was the best use of my limited fundage that I could think of — since I didn’t want to hand out cash. There was a huge crack problem in my West Philly neighborhood, and I thought giving food directly would be better, and oranges are portable and easy to eat.

kiva is so great. There are so many organizations that do a lot with a very little bit of investment. Heifer International is another one that helps folks pay it forward.

“So often we wallow in what is going wrong, that we then fail to see what is going well.”
It seems as if things are going wrong everywhere, all the time but that the good things happen one at a time rarely. Our house is off to the pool where we’re working on water rescue through the 4 courage steps. Be brave, be calm, be clear, be careful. Let’s throw one more starfish back and have a great day.

To add to my first response, I’m looking at how one culture describes another culture through texts, specifically how they structure their texts, word choice, what their text focuses on or ignores, etc. It fits into a larger area of interest that I have about the possibility (or not) of one culture writing objectively about another.

Nice. As to our sleep and parenting skills (our daughter is now a teenager) we find ourselves having to kick her off our bed late most nights so we can get a bit of shut eye. She has chosen this as her favorite place to do homework. I have no idea how we got ourselves into this (except it has the only DVD player in the house, and with lap tops and wifi they can be anywhere). It is hard to argue against teenagers doing homework. Ironically we were early espousers of babies sleeping in the parent’s bed – so there is a bit of similitude. Word to the wise…sometimes life comes back at you in funny ways.

Sounds fabulous! Your program (comp lit?) is lucky to have you.

Thanks, I really like that idea. Malnutrition is a problem and oranges are not only nutritious but also sweet. Thanks for the suggestion!!! Though I kind of like being called ‘the ravioli lady’ *smile*

Ah, framing.

Good morning Christy. What a wonderful post.

I do try to live in a way that will leave a tiny part of the world a tiny bit better off when I am gone. On a much smaller scale than David Oliver Relin, but a bit better.

But I suspect that the real impact is made not by the career choices and the big things, but by some of the small kindnesses that mean so much more to the other person than to the person being kind in the moment.

Hi, all!

Oh, that sounds really interesting. I recently read a fascinating account of Magellan’s circumnavigation that was based on a contemporaneous journal kept by Magellan’s right-hand man on the expedition to find a direct route to the Spice Islands. Some of the most interesting parts involve the interactions between Magellan’s people and residents of Pacific islands they visited, which included getting tangled up in battles between different islands.

Actually it’s German Studies, but they encourage interdisciplinary studies so my focal area are german speakers in south america (it helps that I already spoke portuguese)

They were the greatest parents. They instinctively got out of the way and let YOU raise him right. Good job by the way, a college graduate!

exactly :)

Richmond and Christy —- I still have to evict TexTeen from my bed some nights! And I still need to sleep in real PJs with pants in case he climbs in in the morning while waiting for his alarm to snooze. Fortunately I have a flexible enough schedule that naps are often possible during the day.

Yeah — I figured vitamin C also helps to ward off colds and other ick as well, but it’s one of those vitamins you really can’t be without for long without things beginning to break down. And it was the most easily eaten and portable food I could slip in my pocket for the cold walk from my tiny studio apartment to UPenn’s campus. I just got whatever was in season — oranges, tangerines…

My book group just met to talk about this book this last week. Greg Mortenson is coming to Kansas City in early March and we will be going to hear him. I’m quite curious about his take on Pakistan in the last two or three years. He has quite an extensive tour, which one can find by visiting the site on Central Asia Institute.

Solai, I have several kids who eat and sleep here when parents are not around. And a few “Friday children” who come after school and often stay for dinner. I live in the smallest house of any of my son’s friends, but seem to collect teenagers. Even online.

It’s ALL beautiful! When I see something ugly I know I just don’t understand. Some of the best things in my life came about after the very worst.

Christy I tend to keep a box or two of breakfast bars to give to the homeless but oranges would be even better. Used to do juice boxes as well.

i’m so thrilled to see this.
Remember the guy from Wales who sang opera?

Look where he is now!!

Isn’t is fascinating? To this day, one of my favorite ‘cultural encounters’ was the one Christopher Columbus wrote in his reports back to Spain about an encounter with the natives. He came out on the deck of the ship and addressed the group of natives by reading a proclamation that the islands were now the possession of the crown and would be renamed (my summary) but the best part was how he wrote back that,”No one protested”.

helps if you don’t teach them Spanish first *g*

btw, can’t remember if I’ve mentioned this — but I’ll be doing a panel at the Take Back America conference in March. And Jane has one as well, I believe. If any of you are attending, we’ll see you there. :)

I forgot to add that he read it in Spanish and there was no translator

Wonderful! He deserves that venue for his magnificent voice.

That was my house, TexB. I never knew who was going to show up for dinner. Contributing to the chaos, my sister lives across the street. Between us, we have 6 kids all very close in age. So, I guess the theory was that if you were looking for someone to hang out with, come to our neighborhood. Someone was bound to be there.

This book sounds great. Do you have an author/title?

Well, it sure doesn’t hurt :)

nothing boring about that…travel narratives? Montaigne? Dumas pere and Dumas fils?

Great field for this sort of post-modern engagement, there is alot of good work being done. And, nice that you can compare the two perspectives.

As I said before: fascinating. I studied structuralism, poststructuralism, and postmodernism in grad school…

Last night I had “planned” dinner for myself and my son. Instead had 3 teen boys, a 9 yr old girl, and myself. Just a lot more dishes to choose from. And a LARGE pot of macaroni noodles with 2 different sauces. And all the cucumber slices and baby carrots were snapped up!

I’m sure you can be of help here…*g*

The impression I got from the book on Magellan was that it was nearly impossible for the Europeans and Pacific islanders to understand the real intentions behind what they were saying to each other, even though they could translate literal meaning. These misunderstandings led to some very bad outcomes, including Magellan’s own death in a battle involving warriors from two islands that had an ongoing long-term beef with one another.

The 99 cents only store has pop-top tuna cans with crackers…fwiw.
*
Bio: FB

german speakers in south america

Argentina…

“Over the Edge of the World: Magellan’s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe”, by Laurence Bergreen. It’s quite a page-turner.

Also, heads up for everyone: today’s Blue America guest will be the fabulous Donna Edwards. And the book salon today at 5 pm ET is AJ Rossmiller from Americablog’s book — hosted by Richard Clarke.

Busy day here today!

No, LEGO was how I got to sleep in on the weekends!

Yeah. LOL. Well, our sleep attire also is decidedly different depending on who is around!

did you check your FB inbox…

I also just finished reading Banker to the Poor (been sick a lot, so reading time is greatly increased). Both Yunus and Mortenson are clear that educating and empowering women is the key to substantial change. Both also insist that those needing the help know what they need, so provide what they need and get out of the way. There is no condescension to the poor or the needy, but rather a realization that they need access to education and to credit. I found myself quite heartened by the willingness to be, in a sense, a servant of the poor, rather than a beneficent overlord.

That is exactly the idea :) Most of the time when I mention my area of research/study, I’m met with lots of eye blinking LOL

wobblybits, this book salon’s for you..*g*

Today is the central texas firepup INDOOR picnic. Tornado watch and storms in the area. Our third meet-up and the first indoor one.

Well, a field/area you and I share in our other lives -Africa – is a key site for looking at German versus Portuguese perspectives. It is great to see what each new generation brings to the field).

heh

I loved Yunus’ book. It was such a refreshing read compared to so much of the mandated, many irrelevent strings attached sorts of thinking that often goes with that sort of program.

Not here. My son has been known to return from sleepovers at 1 Am or 8 Am and I need to be dressed pretty much every night. Good thing I have no sex life!

I know just where you’re coming from. It has been a ‘tradition’ that on Friday nights, we buy pizza and wings. Been that way since the kids were little. Well, once my kids hit their teens and word got out, it was a stampede to my house.

Bio: yes..did you?

Holy Moly, Christy, what a fabulous individual and success. Thanks for all you did her for her. I reposted the YouTube of her debate last night here – the one that was up at the lake earlier. It is worth having people look at it again. She is more impressive each time I see her.

Lots in Brazil (my parents are from there)

But there were plenty of Germans that were members of the Spanish, Portuguese and french merchant ships. Hans Stadten was captured for many years and held by a tribe in Brazil. He wrote about the cannibalism but totally misunderstood them even after having lived among them albeit under the threat of being eaten.

I see that, i’m really excited

LOL – for every season! I figure once I have seen the plane take off with the kid in it, we are safe for a few days.

Columbus is quite a controversial figure in history…it’s a good thing the US wasn’t named after him, which almost happened, BTW. Instead, by accident, the US was named after an obscure figure of history, a minor explorer and shameless self-promoter, Amerigo Vespucci…Quite an irony that..

Yep…

I read it too. The surprising thing to me was the degree to which all of the Spaniards disliked and distrusted the Portugese Magellan. I’ve always been fascinated by the strange mixture of religious furvor, patriotism, greed, and bloody rivalry among Spanish explorers.

I will now…

Hopefully we are able to bring interesting, thought provoking scholarship to match what has been done with regards to Africa.

Omigosh — and look at all his event dates!

Thank you for bringing this back–I had bookmarked the tryout one earlier. And then hadn’t gone back to it ’til now. What a wonderful affirmation of the beauty of sound. Like true beauty, it’s not the packaging, it’s the song within.

Christy, I can’t tell you how very beautiful you’ve made the blogosphere, and that changes the outside world as well. Honestly, the first post I somberly read of yours was about the miners trapped, and I knew that your voice would change the discourse, change the depth, and add a wisdom that was forever soft and fiery. So your doing great on the goal of leaving something…

My contribution came to me oddly, when some beavers moved into the urban creek on my street, made a lodge raised a family and sent the city into an uproar. I started by writing articles and putting videos on youtube, now there’s a webpage , a nonprofit, alot of national media, and a subcommittee of the city council which I’m on. The beavers will be in a discovery channel documentary, and last week the sierra club unanimously drafted a position for the city to keep them.

Its just one animal family in an urban creek, but beavers are a keystone species so they will pave the way for a hundred different species to follow. The community has come together in a way that they never did before, and children are getting an unique opportunity to view an ecosystem at work. OUr beavers have been so well publicized that they are now helping other cities keep their beavers. I literally cannot walk to the bank without being stopped and asked questions about them.

Has it made a difference? Beavers change their environment and besides bringing rare birds and otters to the creek these beavers have changed the people in my town. They’ve made us more engaged, more united, more vigilant about our local government, and more compassionate. I don’t know where this flurry will end when the final council votes in March, but being involved in this has changed me too.

When I think about what helped me know how to direct my efforts and coordinate the help of others, I know it was the blogosphere. You helped me know how to be graciously suspicious of government and that has made all the difference.

The whole concept of naming is interesting. There is so much power in the action itself. It can negate another culture entirely.

I kind of figured I am already on ’some’ lists, so I just label all my stuff clearly, I hope they learn something…;) lol

now check yours…*g*

welcome to Leningrad St Petersburg. Or to Saigon Ho Chi Min City.

Oh wow — thank you so much. What a lovely thing to say!

Houston Chronicle and Milwaukee Journal endorse Obama…

Since we’re talking about things that help people out, I thought I would add my little project. My 10-year-old son Sam was diagnosed with Type I diabetes three years ago. For the last two years, we have participated in JDRF’s Walk To Cure Diabetes. Last year, my mom’s company donated enough to get Sam to $1000, but this year the company is under new management and we’re struggling to reach the goal. I just thought I’d give Sam’s webpage and maybe if anyone here (or a loved one) suffers from this disease, or even if you don’t, you might consider making a donation to JDRF.

Here is the webpage: http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=86969122

If this isn’t acceptable here, I’m so very sorry and I’ll understand if it needs to be deleted. And if anyone DOES make a donation, please accept my sincere thanks in advance. Every little bit that goes toward healing my son (and everyone with this disease) is greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

I wonder who’s making dessert?

-G

OT, but interesting ….

Breaking News: Exxon Mobil “No Longer Welcome” in Venezuela
from Green Options by Gavin Hudson
http://feeds.greenoptions.com/…..236072766/

Cherry pie, chocolate chip cookies, and chocolate pecan cookies. Already in the car so yesterday’s crowd wouldn’t devour the whole bag. :)

Brazil is great for this too.

You’re welcome!

I’m not surprised, it was a long time coming

Has anyone seen the Charles Barkely interview where he slams Republicans?

Poor Wolfie Blitzen was shocked, shocked.

-G

Christy, I can’t tell you how very beautiful you’ve made the blogosphere, and that changes the outside world as well.

Hear, Hear! All of the FDL authors.

Yeah. That was fucking hilarious!

You have a great mix of things in Brazil (including the native Americans). Interestingly in the course much of the Portuguese engagement with Africa, most everything went to Lisbon via Brazil, so it was a great cross roads.

Actually it’s German Studies, but they encourage interdisciplinary studies so my focal area are german speakers in south america (it helps that I already spoke portugues

That is an interesting subject. Have you visited Bariloche Argentina?
It looks like Bavaria and is a German City. When I was there, there were a lot of elderly German men who had an “SS” appearance. Sure enough, a year later, 60 Minutes was in Bariloche doing a story about ex-SS living there.

OT: Mark Levine from RadioInsideScoop.com has been trying without success to get an explanation of Senator Webb’s vote for the Senate FISA bill. He details his efforts in a long, tedious diary at Dkos: http://www.dailykos.com/storyo…../78/457590

IMHO, Webb owes both an explanation and an apology.

I second that.

Mark is a wonderful guy! He’s one of our hosts at the HORN.

I’d like to think that when I leave this world, I will have done something to make it a better place…in some way better or more beautiful for someone because of my actions.

I haven’t read all the responses and don’t know if it’s been pointed out yet but I am positive you ahve made this world a far better, far more beutiful place for me, for my children christy and I thank you

if I may;

Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.
Horace Mann

Christy, I have to agree. You are indeed one of the best souls that has happened to da toobz!

Ooops — completely forgot to link this up above: Greg Mortenson has started a YouTube page. They aren’t very long or detailed, but my very favorite one lasts about 11 seconds and shows Afghan refugee kids getting some pencils, a notebook and a pencil sharpener — and the look on the boy’s face who receives them is priceless. There are also a couple of videos of girls at two separate schools in Pakistan getting letters from American school kids — and their smiles are so lovely as they read them.

Thought everyone would enjoy the snmiles as well.

Still in Saigon.

My Lutheran Pastor was the son of missionaries in Brazil. We sent him on a 3 month sabbatical to his roots after 25 years ofr ministry.

Good morning Christy, pups!

OT – a propos the tragedy of the Illinois shooting incident recently, my sweetie just pointed out that this has alot to do with the need for more/better/cheaper mental health care for the population at large. Apparently there are quite a few people who don’t want to commit suicide alone, and the results, as here (or some car accidents -kids flooring the pedal late at night with or without drink) can be tragic. On a related point, I heard/read somewhere that the “kids” – are pressing for gun control on campuses and in blogs. I haven’t seen any of this hereyet, but as with Obamania, this could have a key influence because they cannot so easily be targeted by NRA.

Yep, see wobblybits @ 127…

Christy, one of my jobs at the HS is liaison between the refugee kids/families and the help center at the school district. Handing out full backpacks and then letting the kids re-stock them every semester is one of the joys of my job. And one of the few parts I don’t delegate to my assistant.

Hey egregious, every time I see your name, I feel very guilty about messing up your first post on the brand new spanking clean FDL site with what I thought was a funny exchange about technical issues, ending in an expletive that you were really pissed about.

One idea for making the world a better place, it doesn’t have to be something large. People get discouraged and think well I can’t start an organization and work overseas or anything like that. Not required! Just see what you react to and take one small step in the direction of fixing it.

What touches you? What breaks your heart? What makes you think, hey, even I could do better than that? And take the small step. Amazing things can happen.

Yeah- I saw that, nice.

now check yours again…

All is forgiven. List of life experiences: successes and “learning experiences.”

Got yer furniture?

I am so glad that I was on vacation when we did the switchover. It wasn’t planned that way — we had hoped to do the switch much earlier, but we kept dealing with glitches. It was serendipity to be away when it happened. *g*

see my 10… I hope you don’t mind…

bad news from Afghanistan ….

Afghan winter toll tops 900
from AL JAZEERA
Officials say it is the coldest winter in the country’s living memory.

ending in an expletive that you were really pissed about.

All right. Let’s hear it.

Papal dispensation. Many thanks! That is also what is nice about this place – forgiveness (it doesn’t come so easily elsewhere).

christy, i always figured the technophobe in you planned vacation for that week on purpose!

It was kinda funny, actually, though as you can imagine alot of us had become pretty set in our ways about liking the site as it was. Now, it is hard to remember. But, I do miss the aesthetics – if nothing else – of the ziggarats!

By the way, I sent you an email back around then about a great vacation place for the 2 of you and the peanut. I could try to send it again via Biodun or Jane.

Bravo! Exactly. None of us can’t start anything large in our lives without the best foundation, which is the act of listening, understanding of others, and peace in our hearts. This is why the Bush Regime has failed on all fronts over the years.

I love the story Hdshmkr @ 136 told. She/He was the pebble thrown in the water to start the ripple effect!

It’s all about the ripples….and not the “O” like the commercials suggest. LOL

Thanks for directing me to these….great landscape and beautiful, beautiful children.

Fascinating mini-thread intellectual discussion..FDL, the online think tank…*g*

My news and blog feed just updated:
Reality Based News Feed

Time for me to get moving. Have a fabulous day, y’all.

McBush is going to have a meltdown during the debates:

With Cornyn, he smoothed things over quickly. The two argued during a meeting on immigration legislation; Cornyn complained that McCain seemed to parachute in during the final stages of negotiations. ”F— you. I know more about this than anyone else in the room,” McCain reportedly shouted.

-G

Got yer furniture?

Yes! Happy camper!

Biodun, thanks for your kind words of encouragement. People are reaching out to me, I am not as lonely here as I had feared.

What a great thread. My twelve-step work was what made me realize that service to others is what gives life meaning.

It was: STFU. I meant it like a teenager can say it, lilting voice, meaning -ya gotta be kidding me. (THis after I could not quote anyone up the line). Alas, I forgot to type *g* or snark, and people thought here I was really pissed, when really I was laughing her at my own technical inadequacies.

I remember one of the guys here commenting that the gal folks here kiss and make up so quickly after a flare up.
He said they guys go right to Alright pal, let’s take it outside, right now. Dukes up.
Made me laugh and I think about that comment when things get silly here.

indeed :)

Though, the “O” is what happens when you’re watching the ripples. LOL

Okay, I’m out for the rest of the weekend. My childhood friend of 34 years and I are leaving the kids behind and heading to Boston for the night, so we can catch the High School Musical show tomorrow. Nice, huh? Originally the 4 tickets were for her and her 3 girls, but when they weren’t exactly acting appreciative of their mother, Karen emailed me and said, “What to go?!!!!!”. LOL

Have a great weekend everyone! Thanks Christy, Jane, and the other wonderful patriots of this blog for making the Internet a nice place to be! ;-)

things get silly here? really? when? ;)

I miss raven in the mix, BTW…

The zags ate up a lot of bandwidth when they got long, and kept busting the margins. It made a lot of work for the mods. So, alas though they were amusing, they had to go.

This morning I’m meeting with members of a group of therapists for whom I serve as a consultant. Psychoanalytic therapists in my county provide pro bono psychotherapy for foster children–including adults were in the foster system as children. The agreement is therapy for as long as needed. Therapists donate an hour a week and, in thanks and support, receive group (and sometimes individual) consultation time from other clinicians.

I’ve done a lot of consultation over the years to folks working with very difficult cases, and–often–in overwhelmed systems inadequate to the needs of people. I firmly believe that, no matter how hopeless or incomplete a matter looks right before us, we have no idea what ripples we have sent out into the larger lake. Things change, often far away from the time of our involvement, but our efforts still contributed. The things is: keep making ripples. Keep making waves.

KayinMaine, I have SO enjoyed your blog the last few weeks!

hmmm, interesting for many reasons!

beautiful thought laura.

Completely understandable.

Laura — That is such a fantastic idea. Foster kids are so underserved on so many levels in this society. And the resources available are so scant and so overstretched, especially as social services budgets get squeezed more and more tightly with budget cuts across the board in so many places. Great thing you all are doing.

Too often, we all forget the “it takes a village” concept, but it truly does take all of us working together to pull each other through.

Oh, yeah.
Well, to be honest, not all the women here forgive and forget.
And, speaking of honesty, maybe the guys approach is more genuous.
But, I really didn’t want to make it a gender discussion. Wouldn’t want to go there right now. :)

Christy, there is a national organization called A Home Within that has chapters in a number of cities and counties known as the Children’s Psychotherapy Project. Folks who are interested can contact them about starting a chapter.

Some groups have left CPP and formed their own organizations–as mine recently did–as it worked better for us to create a system adapted to our needs and locale….I’m sure A Home Within is googlable….

Yup! I know what you mean – politics bring out most aggressive in us sometimes. Still, Egregious was SO pissed (and rightly so) it was nice to get some redemption.

No, I haven’t been there but there are very large german enclaves in the south of brazil. My dad is from Blumenau and it looks like a bavarian village. They have Oktoberfest and even speak German (well a sort of German).

I’m glad for you. Yep.
Now, I’m going back to bed to finish my book.

Thanks TexBetsy! We have a lot of fun while pissing off the masses at the same time! LOL Hey, somebody has to do this…

;-)

Okay, I’m off now! As usual, I’ve FDL open all the time and can’t pry myself away from it! LOL

Yes, many people don’t know that Africa has had a very strong influence on Brazil. Samba music, the national dish – feijoada, etc. all have their roots in the african culture.

Christy, you are such a light.

I’m EPU’d as usual.

It’s hard, it’s heartbreaking, and there is a huge need for this all over the country: Guardian ad litems for foster kids. The court system in our area is looking for a minimum of 200 adults.

I stupidly signed up to plan a professional conference this year, but I am going to do my best to at least fill out the paperwork and (hopefully) be accepted for the training. If I really believe that children are not things we throw away, I need to put my money where my mouth is.

-S

Strategerie,

That’s wonderful! Let us know what happens.

Christy,
Thanks so much for this. Schools like this are the answer to the Taliban. If we took half the money we are spending on bombs for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and used the money to invest in schools like this, we could transform the situation much more effectively than any number of bombs.

Bob in HI

Wonderful quote, Strategerie. “Children are not things we throw away,” unless we are indifferent to the deterioration of our future, or we cease to care about the suffering of others. This site can always put to good use donations of time or $$$:

Children of the Night

Egregious, thank you. This means so much coming from you.

It’s amazing to me that with the insistence by the RW that every fetus is a person, they don’t seem to care once these kids exit the womb. It’s someone else’s problem.

-S

Marie, it seems so simple to me. These kids have nobody. They’re at the mercy of other adults, who sometimes either can’t or won’t do the right thing.

I understand that it’s time a lot of people don’t have, and I’ve already been warned that it’s not fun. I have to do something, even if it’s just a limited something, and even if I am just one woman.

-S

Your not just one woman, you’re @ the head of an army. Go for it ;)

Enthusiasm trumps spelling for Marie today, apparently- that 1st word in #214 should be You’re.

One more link for those who want to help school children, this time in Africa. A friend of my daughter is co-director of this nonprofit. Very informative site- you can go to the “About Us” section to see what Celina Guich has been doing w/her time since she got an M.A. in the same Psych program as my daughter, Natalie:

The Niapele Project